DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Express => Topic started by: Don Gillespie on December 05, 2014,
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So I am currently using ( don't hate me ) Lor controllers in Dmx mode and I want to move to the Lynx Express but I have no idea what they cost, I have tried the search and nothing really stands out for me. I currently have 15, 16 channel controllers and want to sell those and go all DMX, I am using Xlights to run my lights this year and I am going to getting more pixels, to go with my pixel tree, which is a 16 string, 50 pixel, 2811 square pixels. Anyone with any info would be much appreciated.
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First you do not need to sell your LOR controllers to go DMX. What you need to do is buy & assemble a Lynx Dongle connect one end to your computer & the other end to the first LOR controller. What you need to do is build a crossover cat 5 cable to go from the dongle to the first LOR controller. Below is the wiki link to make crossover cable.
http://www.diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=Light-O-Rama_Controllers
Then go into LOR sequencer & reassign all your LOR channels as DMX & save.
I have been useing a mix of LOR & Epress controllers for 3 years with no problem.
Mike
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Kind of did that myself before. I now have more LE's than I can count. If I was to do it all over again and I had Gen 3 (I didn't) controllers I would not do it again. The money saved was not worth the time spent building and replacing everything. I still like the LOR controllers whether they run in DMX or LOR. The LE controllers have a bunch of features but the LOR controllers are simple and work. I'm not knocking the LE as I have a bunch but I wouldn't sellout just to convert.
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I converted to LEs from LOR last year, best move I ever made.
Three options:
1. buy them in a group buy, and build
2. buy used when offered in the "for sale" section (risk is, you're rolling the dice on the quality of the work)
3. look at the minleon version of the LE, already built and tested.
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You can buy more LE's by selling your LOR Controllers, but you do not need to do that just to use DMX. LOR controllers will operate using DMX, you have to do nothing but give it the DMX signal.
The chart for ID's goes like this for DMX on LOR controllers:
ID01 = channels 1-16 DMX
ID02 = channels 17-32 DMX
ID03 = channels 33 - 48 DMX
Etc.
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Just remember that if you do feed them DMX, all of the built in functions like twinkle and shimmer disappear because there is no DMX commands like that.
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You still have twinkle and shimmer, but shimmer is more of a strobe-like effect. Its not like the effects disappear or become non-functional. Twinkle is essentially the same, its shimmer that is the real difference.
Its more of a change from what you're used to with LOR, as opposed to them being unavailable or unusable.
Edit: my comments above apply to LEs. The same logic would apply to LOR controllers in DMX, but did not run them that way when I used them.
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I don't understand what you are saying because the LE doesn't have any built in effects. Yes, you can make them shimmer and twinkle but the LOR controllers can do that by themselves in their native language by issuing the proper LOR command to them. There is no such command in DMX. The only "command" in DMX is the dim level for each channel so yes, you could send a string of DMX commands to make the channel twinkle or shimmer, and some of the sequencing software has that functionality built in (creating and sending the string of DMX dim commands), but that is not the same as the built in single command function that the LOR controllers have.
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That is correct, no built in effects, such as the LOR protocol offers. But you don't lose the ability to create the effect, just done a different way, and hence, a slightly different appearance.
I use LOR software so that is the basis for my comments; cannot speak to the others (Vixen, LSP, HLS, etc) and how each behaves in this situation, will defer to your (and others) experience/expertise on that.
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I started with LOR and began using LEs when wireless first came out. I slowly sold off my LOR controllers for almost what I paid for them and was able to buy two LEs for the cost of one LOR box. A simple cable let them all work together. Now I still run 7 LEs but am slowly migrating to all pixels. I will never regret buying the LOR boxes. It was a great way to get started as a newbie and at that time I had never soldered anything. Now I solder everything together and enjoy that aspect of the hobby. The issue you will see with getting into DIY stuff is that you will have to solder them together and they are not always available. You have to get into coops or find used or someone with unbuilt extras.
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I guess I should have been clearer, I am currently using all my Lor controllers in DMX mode, for the cost of the LE's my thinking is more AC channels for greater pop in my display, I am also entertaining the idea of more pixels for next year. I was just wondering what the average cost of a board is, a complete board vs a solder your own board.
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I agree with everyone ^ ... don't sell them... just add the LE's. Can buy 2 (almost 3) for the price of 1 LOR. Just adds more blinky!
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If you don't want to solder look at the minleon board. It is an all surface mount board licensed from RJ. It is an LE. Just know that you cannot get support for that board on this forum. That is an RJ stipulation in the minleon agreement. You can even get them with case and cords and they function just like an LE from here.
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So anyways I will ask again does anyone know the cost of a Lynx Express?
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Like you said (don't hate me).
Don,
What you're asking for is a moving tartget. If you've been on this forum for long than perhaps you know that most of us buy our Lynx Express from group buys. Those costs are based upon the price of the parts AT THAT TIME. There's a lot that goes into it.
Now, if you buy it from someone here on the forum, generally speaking most will sell it to you for what they paid for it and some will discount the price based on use and or how badly (quickly) they need to sell.
That said, You can build a Lynx Express for approximately under a hunred dollars. If you buy it from someone already built and depending if it's in a case with cords the price can be as much as $30-$50 dollars more depending on the materials they used to complete it.
Hope that helps.
(Sorry,.. should've read all before commenting and noticed you're new here) I hope it helped anyway and Welcome Don! :)
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If you are going to build a near LOR quality setup with good quality cords like I did this is what they will run.
Card coop $75
Input Power Cord + 16 output cords Monoprice (16 - 5297,1 - 5291) $33.52
Case $11.25 + shipping
O ring terminals for ground. $5
$135 + Your time
You can always use cheaper input and output plugs and if you can get better quantity discounts that would help as well. Depending on your setup you can take this and start subtracting what you don't need or want to substitute for your setup.
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For budgeting I would use $75 as a cost for a controller with no case and no cords. A CG1500 will run you about $15 plus shipping, Output cords can be had for a $1 at the dollar stores, slightly higher at Walmart or Home Depot. A single power input cord can be anywhere from free to $10 depending on where you get them. In any case unless you buy it used you will have a little work to put it all together before you can use it. Cases and cords are never in a coop, only the controllers themselves.
Hope that helps.
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I was able to get the Minleon cases a year or so ago for a comparable price to the 1500s that it made it worth going with those. If you buy a quantity, Ron D. can sometime work a pretty good deal for you. For the Expresses, I prefer those cases to a CG1500s, but you'll pay about 10-12 bucks more without any "deals".